Contact

“President Obama has reaffirmed that as long as nuclear weapons exist the U.S. will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal that guarantees the defense of our country, our allies and partners,” said Hawkins.

First in series of evening lectures open to public

LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Jan. 9, 2014—Los Alamos National Laboratory Senior Fellow Houston “Terry” Hawkins talks about the role that the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile plays in maintaining the nation’s defense — and that of our allies — in a talk at 5:30 p.m., Jan. 15 at the Bradbury Science Museum. The talk is the first in a series of evening lectures planned this year at the museum that are free and open to the public.

“President Obama has reaffirmed that as long as nuclear weapons exist the U.S. will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal that guarantees the defense of our country, our allies and partners,” said Hawkins, of Los Alamos’ Intelligence Defense Counterterrorism Group in the Global Security Directorate.

Hawkins noted that the direct and ancillary consequences of a reduction in the nation’s nuclear arsenal needs to be carefully evaluated and addressed. Hawkins’ talk will look at six key areas for evaluation:

expansion of international terrorism with hatred toward the U.S. and its values

development of alliances and international cabals with ties to terrorist networks

the “graying” and waning of American technology superiority.

Hawkins also will provide suggestions to guide the nation’s decisions regarding future reductions of the nuclear stockpile.

About the speaker

A retired U.S. Air Force colonel, Hawkins came to the Laboratory in 1988 and is an internationally recognized specialist on modern terrorism, particularly terrorism involving the potential use of weapons of mass destruction. At Los Alamos, he has led major technical programs aimed at detecting, preventing and reversing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. He has given lectures internationally on this topic.

About the Bradbury Science Museum

Mensa, an internationally recognized high-IQ society, named the Bradbury Science museum as one of the top 10 “Favorite Science Museums.”

All events at the Bradbury Science Museum are free and open to the public. Bradbury Science Museum is located at 1350 Central Ave., in downtown Los Alamos. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday and Monday.

Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, BWXT Government Group, and URS, an AECOM company, for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.